Electrical switch



150L148 July 15 1924' G. c. TERHORST ET A ELECTRI CAL SWITCH Filed June 28. 1943 n 2; Amman aw ENVEFHORS f a. %4 M, W

Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. TERHORST AND GEORGE W. TERHOBST, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH.

Application filed June 28, 1922. Serial No. 571,352.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEoncE C. TERI-IORST and GEORGE 1V. TERHons'r, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription.

Our invention relates to electrical. switches and particularly to such switches provided with means for automatically opening the switch upon a predetermined current flow through the switch. Our invention is directed particularly to such a switch which is normally manually operated both to opening and closing positions and which is provided with means for automatically opening the switch regardless of the position or condition of the means for manually operating the switch.

Our invention will be bettenunderstood by reference to the following description, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch embodying our invention;

' which are carried by a member 3 of insulating material. A sna member 4 is 'm0unt ed upon a frame mem' er 5 which is fastened to the insulating member 3 and also to a plate 6. The frame member 5 is shown in perspective in Figure 4 and is provided at one end with an upturned portion 7 having an opening 8 therein. A member 9 is attached to the other end of the member 5 and is provided with an opening 10. A member 11 is mounted to slide in the opening 11 in the member 5 and is provided with open bearings 12 in which a shaft 13 rests. The shaft 13 is connected with the snap member 4. A member 15 is connected with an upturned portion 14 of the member 11. The member 15 is telescoped with a member 16 having a handle portion 17 on the end thereof, the members 15 and 16 extend through the plate 6 which plate is provided with a screw threaded boss 18 to which may be attached the usual cover plate. The member 16 is provided with two slots 19 and 20 and the member 15 is provided with a groove 21. A spring 22-shown in Figure 7is mounted on the plate 6, one end thereof being looped around a pin 23 and the other end thereof being open. A cam member 24 is mounted on the plate 6 and acts to spread the open ends of the spring 22 and disconnect the members 15 and 16 when the parts are in the position shown' in Figure 6, at which time the snap member 4 is in such position as to close the contacts 1 and 2. When the parts are in this position the spring 22 is in the position indicated in dotted lines on Figure 8.

A depending member 25 is connected to the member 11 by rivets 26. The member 25 is connected with a core 27 which enters a coil 28 which is connected in series in the circuit passing through the switch contacts 1 and 2.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the parts in the position shown in Fi ure 1, the handle portion 17 may be pul led outwardly and by reason of the spring 22 the member 15 is locked to the member 16 and is moved therewith. The member 11 is carried with the member 15 and carries therewith the shaft 13 which is connected at the lower end of the snap member 4. When the member 11 has been moved to a predetermined position, the member 4 snaps to the switch closing position. After the snap member 4 has moved to switch closing position, the ends of {the spring 22 become sufficiently separated by the cam member 24 to disconnect the members 15 and 16 from each other. The parts then assume the position shown in full lines in Figure 6. If a predetermined current should flow through the switch when the parts are in position shown in Figure-6, the solenoid 28 would draw its core 27 inwardly and move the member 11 together with the member 15 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 whereupon the snap member 4 would take the position shown inFigure 1, thus opening the contacts 1 and 2. If it is desired to again close the switch manually the member 16 is pushed inwardly and carries the spring 22 therewith, moving the same toward the reduced end of the cam 24. This allows the ends of the spring to approach each other and when the member 16 has been moved so that the slots 19 come opposite the groove 20 in the member 15, the spring snaps into the groove 20 and thus again locks the members 15 and 16 together. The member 16 may then be moved outwardly carrying the members 15 and 11 therewith and acting to move the snap member 4 to the circuit closing position as above described. It the abnormal condition still exists on the circuit, the predetermined current will again flow through the coil 28 upon the closure of the contacts 1 and 2. Since the ends of the spring 22 have been sufficiently spread apart to disconnect the members 15 and 16 as soon as the contacts 1 and 2 are closed, it is apparent that the coil 28 will immediately act to open the contacts 1 and 2 as above described. This action of the coil 28 to open the switch is entirely independent of the manually operable member 16 and the switch may be opened by the coil 28 while the manual member 16.is held in its outward or normal circuit closing position.

Our invention has many advantages, among which may be mentioned that simple means are provided for manually opening or closing the switch; means are provided for opening the switch at any time upon a predetermined current flow; means are provided for disconnecting the manual- -ly operable means immediately upon closing the switch, thus placing the automatic operating means in condition to open the switch regardless of the position of the manually operable means. Many other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, we desire it to be understood that we are not limited to the exact arrangement shown and described, as many changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed contacts, a movable contact member, manual means for operating said member to open and close the switch, said manual means comprising two relatively movable members, means for locking said members together when the switch is open and means effective upon movement of said switch to closed position and independent of the electric current to move said locking means to released position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an electrical switch having manual means for opening and closing said switch, said means being connected to the switch when the latter is open, of means independent of the electric current for automatically disconnecting said manual means upon the closing o'L said switch, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an electrical switch having manual means for opening and closing said switch, said means being connected to the switch when the latter is open, of means independent of the electric current for automatically disconnecting said manual means upon the closing of said switch, and magnetic means for opening said switch upon a predetermined current flow, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, means for operatively connecting said members together and means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the closing of the switch, substantially as described.

5. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, means for operatively connecting said members together, means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the closing of the switch, and means for opening said switch independently of said manually operable member, substantially as described.

6. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, means for operatively connecting said members together, means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the closing of the switch, and magnetically operable means for opening said switch independently of said manually operable member, substantially as described.

7. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contact-s comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, means for operatively connecting said members together, means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the closing of the switch, and a series coil for opening said switch, substantially as described.

8. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, a spring member for operatively connecting said members together and means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members when in switch closing position, substantially as described;

9. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of tively connected to said movable contact, a spring member for operatively connecting said members together, means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members when in switch closing position, and means for opening said switch independently of the manually operable member upon a predetcrmined current flow through the circuit controlled by said switch, substantially as described.

10. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, a hair pin spring for operatively connecting said members together and cam means for spreading said spring to disconnect said members when in switch closing position, substantially as described.

11. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed and movable contacts, means for opening and closing said contacts comprising two members, one of which is manually operable and the other of which is operatively connected to said movable contact, a hair pin spring for operatively connecting said members together, cam means for spreading said spring to disconnect said members when in switch closing position, and magnetically operated means for opening said switch upon a predetermined current flow, substantially as described.

12. In an electrical switch the combinawhich is operapendent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the snapping of said member to switch closing position, substantially as described.

13. In an electrical switch the combina: tlon of fixed contacts, a snap member carrymg circuit closing contacts, means for manually operating said snap member comprislng two members, means for connecting said members together when the snap member is in switch opening position, means independent of the electric current effective for automatically disconnecting said members upon the snapping of said member to switch closing Fosition, and magnetically operable means or moving said snap member to switch opening position, substantially as described.

14. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed contacts, a snap member carrying circuit closing means, means for manually operating said snap member comprising two telescoped members, one of which is manually operable, means connecting the other of said members with said snap member, means for operatively connecting said members together and means independent of the electric current for automatically disconnecting said members from each other while in switch closing position, substantially as described.

15. In an electrical switch the combination of fixed contacts, a snap member carrying circuit closing means, means for manually operating said snap member comprising two telescoped members, one of which is manually operable, means connecting the other of said members with said snap member, means for operatively connecting said members together, means independent of the electric current for automatically disconnectmg said members from each other while in switch closing position, and magnetic means for moving said snap member to switch opening position independently of the manually operable member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

GEO. C. TERHORST. GEORGE W. TERHORST. 

